Denmark’s Prime Minister, Mette Frederiksen, has issued a formal apology on behalf of the Danish government for the forced contraception scandal that affected thousands of Greenlandic girls and women. The scandal, which occurred between 1966 and 1970, saw 4,500 women and girls fitted with intrauterine devices (IUDs) without their consent or knowledge.
The IUDs were inserted by Danish doctors in an attempt to reduce the population of Greenland, which was a Danish colony until 1953. The scandal is widely regarded as a form of systemic discrimination against women and girls from Greenland.
Frederiksen described the situation as “systemic discrimination” that resulted in both physical and psychological harm for the affected individuals. She acknowledged that the government’s actions were wrong and expressed her regret for not acting sooner.
Greenland’s former Prime Minister, Múte B Egede, has described the IUD scandal as a “genocide.” The Danish government has apologized for cases up to 1992 and will also issue an apology for cases after that date in a joint statement with Greenland’s Prime Minister, Jens-Frederik Nielsen.
Separately, 143 Greenlandic women are suing the Danish state for 43 million Danish kroner, alleging they were fitted with IUDs without their consent or knowledge. The government has acknowledged the harm caused by the scandal and is working on a compensation scheme for the affected individuals.
The apology marks an important step towards healing and reconciliation between Denmark and Greenland. It also highlights the need to acknowledge and learn from the country’s colonial past, which has had a lasting impact on the relationships between Denmark and its former colonies.
As part of this effort, the government is working with an expert group to investigate possible human rights violations in connection to the IUD scandal. The findings of this investigation will be published soon, and the government expects to provide compensation and other forms of support to those affected by the scandal.
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/aug/27/denmark-pm-apologises-over-physical-and-psychological-harm-caused-by-iud-scandal